Exploring Kapolei

Wet 'N Wild

HONOLULU readers know all about the Wet ‘n’ Wild’s slides and attractions; the water park was voted Best Family Attraction in this year’s Best of HONOLULU. In addition to surfing on Da Flowrider or floating down the Kapolei Kooler, you can enjoy concerts and movie nights at the water park. On Saturday evenings the wave pool turns into a movie theater during the Dive ‘n’ Movies, showing such films as Harry Potter and Where the Wild Things Are. 400 Farrington Highway, 674-9283, hawaii.mywetnwild.com.

Photo: Courtesy of Gialuchi Day Spa

Photo: David Croxford

Gialuchi Boutique & Day Spa

From haircuts and massages to pedicures and eyelash perms, Gialuchi Boutique & Day Spa is a one-stop shop that takes the hassle out of pampering yourself. Its most popular service is the Brazilian wax, but rest assured, owner Gloria Sterman says that employing seasoned professionals is one of her main priorities. “In order to get the best service, you have to bring in pros who are skilled at what they do,” she explains. The front of the store also has a small selection of women’s clothes, like dresses by designer Lucy Love, as well as product lines, such as Eminence Organic Skin Care. 590 Farrington Highway, Suite 165, 674-4424, gialuchidayspa.com.

Thanks to KIHA owner Richard Pentecost, inline hockey leagues now have a proper place to practice and compete.

Photo: Elyse Butler and Matt Mallams

Kapolei Inline Hockey Arenas

They run off of more than 1,000 solar panels. Their floors have more than 30,000 plastic tiles. They are the Kapolei Inline Hockey Arenas (KIHA), which opened in April and are the first and only inline arenas on Oahu, nestled in the Campbell Industrial Park. Players skate on a smooth, hard plastic surface and can practice with a team or during the arenas’ open skate hours. The arenas are also home to youth and adult hockey leagues. Owner Richard Pentecost was inspired to build KIHA after watching his then 8-year-old son’s hockey team get crushed by opponents during a Mainland competition. “Now people have a top-notch place to skate,” he says. 1057 Opakapaka St., 372-9270, kihawaii.com.

Barbers Point Naval Air Museum

“Everything we have flew here,” says Brad Hayes, the director of the Barbers Point Naval Air Museum, referring to the nine airplanes housed at the museum. The largest is a P-3A, a plane used in antisubmarine warfare. Two of the aircraft were used during World War II; Hayes says the museum hopes to add a third plane. The museum is open by appointment only, and Hayes says he gets many student visitors. “I try to advocate history,” he says. 682-3982, nambarberspoint.org

Photo: Elyse Butler and Matt Mallams

Kapolei Skate Park

Westside skateboarders rejoiced when the Kapolei Skate Park opened nearly four years ago. The park is 7,000 square feet of concrete goodness, and features a 10-foot, a 9-foot and an 8.5-foot bowl into which skaters drop and freestyle.

Places: Island Pacific Academy

This is the only private K-12 school in Kapolei. In May, Island Pacific Academy (IPA) held its first high school graduation, with 45 seniors.